This Is A Totally Normal Isekai Situation, Right? (No, it's not)
by IAmNotAPotatoOrAmI
Summary: We know too much about this world. Albeit, it each one of us only has bits and pieces of the equation, heck, some of us only know that we don't belong here. None of us have any abilities that would be very desired, right? It's not much, but we can get by with hiding in the background of the plot, right? Pity that trouble keeps finding us.
1. Chapter 1

The weird thing about situations like these is not that they send you to a place that by all means should not exist, but that you no longer are the same person you were before. You grow and adapt and become someone that belongs in the place they were sent, not where they came from and on a subconscious level, they know they cannot go back. It's waking up to face another day where you both know that you belong here and simultaneously don't. It's learning, oh so slowly to fit into this world, to sink into the background and become a part of a working machine because sometimes, standing out is not a good thing. Sometimes, it's knowing where the plot will end up and knowing that there's really nothing you can do about it because you've arrived in that grey area where anything that would drastically change the plot has already gone past and changing anything to come could and most likely would just make it worse.

It's not that there's no way that you can help, it's just that being a continent away from the main story isn't really doing any favors. Nor is the fact that there is a group that is there that agrees with you, and one member that apparently could have drastically changed the plot but didn't really doesn't help. It's a pain, but that is reality. Just don't think about it, blend into the background, and don't do anything that's too outrageous outside of your abilities that are on paper. Outside of the fact that you now have abilities that you didn't have in your past dimension, that are apparently a bit out there already for this reality. Some might say that this is what you get in a situation like this, but in all honesty, none of them want to be in this situation. It's not that this situation is a bad one, just that all of them were perfectly fine where they came from and usually people like that aren't shunted to another dimension with no warning. Aren't you supposed to have a random omniscient being that asks you to do the thing and then properly prepares or warns you of what is to come? And then like hates one of the group but they end up being the one that's really powerful and saving the day at the end of the thing? What even is this?

It doesn't matter. The day to day hasn't really changed.

It shouldn't matter. You've ended up in a place that has your wildest dreams, right?

But it does.

* * *

_**[Schrodinger]; Hey, guess who finally got certified as bilingual and can now properly apply for an international exchange program? **_

_[Abilene]; I don't know, who? It's you, isn't it?_

_[Zeno]; Why are you trying to come over here? We chat online often enough and besides that, you see Sorties everyday for your internship so you know we all exist. Japan isn't exactly the best place to come over and stay at the moment. _

_[Bhartrhari]; Zeno, don't be a downer. Schrodinger, I'd love to have you come and stay for a while. Come, see the sights and properly meet myself, Zeno, and Observer. _

_[Abilene]; Pity you can't come see me, Spain just so happens to be a wonderful place to stay. _

_[Sorties]; What's this? I'm losing my favorite Science Buddy next year/semester? _

_**[Schrodinger]; I'm hoping my parents will actually let me join the exchange program. If they do, then yes, Science Buddy, you will lose your partner in crime for a little while. I promise to call! ;p**_

_[Observer]; Yeah, yeah, just be sure not to cause too much of a disturbance when you're over here._

_**[Schrodinger]; Ok**_ **mom.**

_[Observer]; *sputter*_

_**[Value]**_ _**HAS JOINED THE CHAT**_

_[Zeno]; What_

_[Abilene]; Who is this_

_[Observer]; WTF_

_[Bhartrhari]; Observer._

_[Observer]; Ok, alright, but still, what the what just happened? No one is supposed to join?_

_[Sorites]; Bhartrhari did anything like this happen when we all came along?_

_[Value}; Hello? What is this? Who are you? Is this a quirk? Is this my quirk? What is going on?_

_[Bhartrhari]; Something similar happened when you all joined, yes. It's fine. _

_[Abilene]; Ah, ok then. Welcome to the mental link, Value. Or as I like to call it; Chatroom 2; Mental Electric Boogaloo._

_[Zeno]; We do not call it that! Anyways, Value as far as we know we have absolutely no idea what exactly this is nor why we are here. _

_[Observer]; We're all real people you can trust, and can talk to. Everything's going to be fine._

_**[Schrodinger]; Yup. Now I'm feeling sorry for Bhartrhari. Were we all like this in the early days? Jeez Bhartrhari, you must have been a saint. Value, who are/were you? What's your Denial? How old are you?**_

_[Value]; Who was I? Denial? What do you mean? Why should I trust you? Mom said not to tell strangers who I am. _

_[Abilene]; [DATA] *shrug*_

_[Zeno]; [DATA]? We've got a mental link that none of us can get rid of. If we didn't trust each other, we wouldn't have been able to trust our own thoughts. _

_[Value]; Oh. That doesn't make any sense though. Quirks aren't supposed to do that. Why do you have [DATA]? _

_**[Schrodinger]; Who are you? I promise we can't use a name to do anything and as long as you don't mention anything about [DATA], it'll be fine.**_

_[Value]; I guess it's fine then but I still don't really trust you. My name is Midoriya Izuku. _

_[Bhartrhari]; Shit._

_[Observer]; Bhartrhari! You're not wrong, though. Shit. _

_**[Schrodinger] **__to [Bhartrhari]; __**What do we do? I thought we were supposed to remain in the background, right? **_|

_[Value]; What's wrong? You said it would be fine! _

_[Abilene]; It's complicated, kiddo. You complicate things._

_[Observer]; Abilene! _

_[Value]; *confusion* How do I complicate things? What do you guys mean?_

_[Sorites]; It's not exactly easy to explain, and we're not sure we like what has happened. _

_[Value]; [QUERY]_

_[Observer]; I... I have a pretty powerful pre-cog ability as my Denial and you're supposed to do something important. _

_[Bhartrhari]; You're allowed to tell him that? I thought..._

_[Observer]; Even telling him that is stretching it. Anything more and... things Change._

_[Value]; I'm gonna be a hero?! Really? _

_[Bhartrhari]_ _to __**[Schrodinger]**__; Our involvement with him doesn't mean that we can't stay in the shadows. You just have to be, we all have to be a bit more careful. _

_[Abilene]; Sure. _

_[Zeno]; It's your choice at the end of the day. _

_[Value]; Wait. Who are you people? Why did you appear now? _

_**[Schrodinger]**_ _**; That's not really important right now. Just be sure not to talk about what goes on in here and you'll be fine.**_

_[Value]; You're not real, aren't you? Just my luck._

_[Sorties}; We're very real. We just... It's complicated._

_[Value]; Great. _

* * *

Her time in Japan, if her parents would let her, just got a lot more complicated.


	2. Chapter 2

Convincing my parents was an entire ordeal, sure, but editing the plans they had come up with was worse. Of course, singular person messages were a great help, but things progress much easier when you can just open it up to everyone else to play around with the ideas. That, and of course someone will end up forgetting and letting the greenest of beans know what is going on. Ahh, Makoto! I get that your kind of bullshit says that we shouldn't tell him or any of the other major players that we know of, but that isn't helping right now! What if... no. We'd recognize if one of us was from canon and know the fallout of that. Right?

"What'cha worrying 'bout, Taylor? If it's about the others, then don't worry! You know it's not that bad!" Jolting in my seat, I turn to stare at Zack. He looks genuinely concerned, but then again, it's Zack. He has the emotional range of a happy teaspoon. Oh, and what do you know? he's smiling again.

"What else would I be worrying about? You, alone in a professional work environment? Okay, I should worry about that as well, shouldn't I." Zack adopts a shocked expression on his face from my quip before going back to his grin. He slides into the seat across form me, and adopts a look on his face. Honestly, it would fit Alex more than Zack in how much it makes him look like a little shit.

"I resent that remark!"

"You resemble that remark."

"Doesn't mean I can't resent it as well! Besides, it's fine. Makoto will figure a few things out and things'll be fine." Zack starts digging around his salad, eating it between words. It seems tasty. Makes me regret my pathetic turkey sandwich. Eh, nothing like a good routine to keep memories by.

"I can't help it, there's no way that our plans can go as we want them now. I worry." While I motion with my hands, Zack chuckles before pouting.

"Really? In front of my salad?" Snorting, I take a moment to regain breath before leaning over to smack him upside the head.

"Yes, in front of your salad. Besides, as of... I think today, I am fully registered as a foreign exchange student and thus will be leaving you. UwU."

"This is a physical conversation! You do not get to UwU me here, I refuse! Shit, you just made me say UwU, didn't you?" Pain on his face, Zack stands up before sitting back down. "Ugh, you arse. I almost won that bet, you know. So, Japan? Gonna go meet them face to face, huh? Who first?"

"Hand it over, uh huh. Eh I think I'll go meet Hisashi and Makoto. Akane's a..."

"Stick up the arse? Yeah, but you're over there anyways. Might as well meet them all. Never know what'll happen if you don't." Zack laughs as he finishes his salad. "Where're you headed?"

"Dunno. As much as I'd like to go there, there's problems with that. Multiple problems. Besides, we're going into the sciences not heroics so the point of the exchange in the first place is moot." UA is a great school, but it gets too much media attention. It would be nice to go there but not good for what we want.

* * *

[Observer]; Five years out, just about. You all know what happens this year.

[Abilene]; Pity it doesn't stick. One half-dead Supervillain on the menu.

[Value]; [Query]

**[Schrodinger]; [Refusal]. Sorry Zuzu.**

[Value]; Zuzu?

**[Schrodinger]; A nickname for the greenest of beans. I could call you Zuku but it's not the same.**

[Sorites]; [Refusal] You're not the only one. Schrodinger calls me partner in crime, Zuzu. :P

[Zeno}; [Refusal] Value is Value, you guys. So, five years. everything going as planned?

[Abilene]; Just about. College is somewhat of a pain but I'm getting what I asked for. Eh. You could call me Abil, Zuzu. Schrodinger does. We just don't shorten her name 'cause its a pain to find a good nickname for her.

[Sorites]; It's a pain, but yeah. Internship is what it is and I'm going strong in the area with my connections. You try finding a scientist researching something and they're not on the island.

[Bhartrhari]: There's a few here and there if you know where to look. All's well on my end, as usual.

[Observer]; Nothing is appearing to go wrong on my end. We're all appearing fine so that's all good. Even you, Schrodinger.

**[Schrodinger]; I get it, it's five years and I'm choosing to go over now. I won't break our rules, I just want to make sure the three of you make it through, is that too much to ask? Besides, talking like this is annoying.**

[Value]; [Query]

[Zeno]: [Data] They're our rules, not yours. There's no need to subscribe to them for you, Observer might even say that you shouldn't.

[Value]; [Query]. [Annoyance]

[Observer]; [Refusal]. There are things some people are not meant to know and you're one of them.

[Value]; I promise I won't say anything!

[Abilene]; At the very least, if we tell you, you'd break our own rules for us by going to the government.

[Value];Your rules are stupid.

[Bhartrhari]; They're perfectly reasonable considering what we can do. Few would have the restraint to do this.

[Value]; What can you do anyways? You're just cryptic voices in my head!

**[Schrodinger]; Many, many things Izuku. We just didn't ask to be able to do so. **

[Value]; Liar.

* * *

Wake. Act. Sleep. Repeat. Go through the motions. Repeat and Repeat and Repeat. What's the point of all this? You can't go back. You can make things better though. You can pursue what you wanted to there here. You can try. Why is it that only once you've been shunted to a world impossible that you start to care? That you start to try? That you stop lying to yourself about what you want?

Maybe this is all a lie. A delusion to grant you what you want.

No. You wouldn't hate this, hate yourself so much if this was a lie, a grand delusion to admit the truth. The truth hurts.


	3. Chapter 3

Watch and wait, stand on the sidelines and see the world turn, knowing you cannot do anything. But you can. You can _change_ and that makes all the difference. Doesn't it? You've already changed, rocketed from one reality towards the next alongside strangers. Although you're no longer strangers, you now have **interest** in what happens to these poor souls, to those you call friends. They are your friends, right? Those you share experiences with, care about, help when it's needed. Don't worry though, they can handle everything themselves, they can do as asked of them, unlike you. Sitting here on the sidelines, only offering cryptic knowledge and somehow you're still treated as the most valuable one of them all, even though you can't seem to do anything at all. Unlike dear [Schrodinger], who only seems all too ready to step up and help everyone.

You can step up and help, right?

Just say something. Do something.

Anything.

_I can't sit around here forever, can I?_

* * *

_[Schrodinger]; There's nothing like a good ol' sense of disappointment in the system._

_[Abilene]; Who done screwed up this time, love? _

_[Schrodinger]; You were going to say something different, weren't you?_

_[Abilene]; Well, yes, but we have a small child here, so I can't just go and say that, can I?_

_[Value]; You can say fuck, . Kacchan says it all the time._

_**[Observer]; Your "Kacchan" is a horrible example. But if the shoe fits... **_

_[Schrodinger]; Observer! I thought we were never going to be able to corrupt you! Welcome to the dark side, we have high quality memes._

_[Value]; [Query]_

_**[Observer]; [Hard Refusal]. Izuku, please stay a sweet summer child as long as you can, alright?**_

_[Schrodinger]; Ya'll know I love my connections, but sometimes, they're just... ahhhhhhhhh! Why couldn't I have been placed in a less known school, one whose focus _isn't _heroics? _

_[Zeno]; You got placed at U.A., didn't you? See, this is why the whole exchange student idea was a horrible one._

_[Schrodinger]; Bet._

_[Bhartrhari]; That is horrible bet, Schrodinger. U.A. would almost certainly claim you so they didn't have to worry about collateral damage on their campus as much in the name of "experience". Even with that teacher of theirs. _

_[Value]; U.A. wouldn't do that! They're all heroes!_

_**[Observer]; As the saying goes; Don't meet your heroes, Izuku. They're not all what they're cracked up to be. Besides, you know what attending U.A. means, right?**_

_[Schrodinger]; Yeah, yeah, a close up look at the newest heroes of the generation, right?_

_[Zeno]; Connections in places that we aren't going to be able to access with this few people. _

_[Sorites]; If only one of us wanted to be a Hero..._

_[Zeno]; Don't goad the young one. He's doing his best, honestly you wonder why we don't trust you to be without Schrodinger..._

_[Sorites]; Hey! I'm not that bad!_

_[Value]; You kinda are... Sorry!_

_[Abilene]; Ooh! Burn! Don't apologize, kiddo, you did great._

_**[Observer]; Can I guess that nothing else has happened yet? Nothing completely unexpected from the Butterfly Effect? Can't keep this stuff up 24/7.**_

_[Abilene]; We're fine, we're fine! Unless I should go and become a SuperVillain? _

_[Sorites]; Hey! My shtick's to go off and make completely horrible suggestions!_

_[Schrodinger]; Hah! You admitted it! _

_[Sorites]; Noooooooo..._

_[Bhartrhari]; I swear you lot are children at times. _

_**[Observer]; We all pretty much are. As far as I'm aware, you're the only adult here.**_

* * *

The world repeats upon itself, unfolding and refolding into all that is and isn't there. Butterflies flapping their wings with each word that is said, a kaleidoscope of infinite possibilities. You aren't supposed to be here, none of you were, but you deny that, like all things. Just focus and concentrate on that which is here, the safety of Zack, Alex, Taylor, Akane, Hizashi, and Izuku. Look, look, _look._ Not move, not say, look. [Deny] it all you want, say that this is for the best all you wish, but you know that at the end of the day, that doing somehting is better than nothing.

_Move five steps to the left._

A car rockets past, and all you can think about is what the repercussions of that are. Why only five steps? Why not shout a warning? What would have happened if I was not hit? Does that truly matter? You are safe and fine, and your friends don't have to worry about stumbling about in the dark. Not that you know all that much more than they do. Any further than an hour, any major deviations from the _knowledge_ that you all have, and there simply isn't anything to see.

You sit down on a bench, and the world explodes into color. Blues and Oranges coalesce into figures of what could happen, things that won't happen, that will happen. You can't really tell if what will become truth and what will become lies, but you watch nonetheless, in hopes of finding something. Of finding what, is unknown. More often than not, Death is prevalent in these future endings. That and chains. Ah, here are some now to consume you and drag you under into the grasp of hands and then the void. Visions shift, and suddenly you're surrounded by happy children running about under the watch of Taylor and Zack. The two of them appear to be happy, at least until a shadow appears and then Taylor is gone, out of reach. More often than not in recent visions, Taylor is wearing chains. For what, you aren't sure. These Visions aren't always so literal, but then... you don't think that chains exactly mean good things.

The visions fade out and the world continues on. People around you walk down the street, going about their day. It's time to move on, and you stand up. Time to go home, but home feels half a lifetime and an alternate universe away. A patch of green hair passes by, but you dismiss it. Not like going and talking to Izuku will fix anything. Well, it might, but then those things would pop up and getting someone to fix those would not be pleasant.


	4. Chapter 4

Fucking UA, fucking exchange student program, fucking shitty ass [Denial], shitty ass fake quirk that makes me actually look powerful, look like a hero candidate. Ehh... can't really help that last bit, the other two on the other hand can go fuck themselves. Sure, let's put the kid applying for support courses in the Gen Ed class because they need to actually test in for the support course, ignoring the fact that I didn't even put U.A. down as a priority school for the exchange program! There was like, 10 different schools in that program that were available and I am the lucky student that get's put in U.A.? Couldn't you have chosen one of the kids that actually want to become a hero? It's just my luck... just my luck. Not like I could do anything about it...

Wandering around the city, I stop. Doesn't Makoto live around here? Or is he a city over? Where exactly did he live again? I'm sure he lives around here somewhere... Walking aimlessly, I end up in a small neighborhood. Down the street is a small park, and as a group of children run by, I recognize one of them. That is Izuku, isn't it?

"Izuku?"

He turns his head to look at me, confusion on his face. The rest of the group continues on, not noticing him stop. I wave, and his confusion grows. He backs up as I call out once more.

"Or should I call you [Value]?"

"Who.. who are you?"

"[Schrodinger] would like to say hello. I'm sorry, Zuzu, but things just end up like this. I can't say that I could've come over earlier, but one of the others could have. Ahh, I'd wonder why they didn't, its not like we can't, meetings like this just aren't the best."

"Schrodinger!? You guys are real? I'm not going insane?"

"Well, no... I can see why you'd think that, but did you really think we were lying? Even what you think is impossible exists, Zuzu. You know, you aren't as alone as you thought. We know that you can become great if you put your brain to it, Zuzu."

"Can you stop being so cryptic for once? There's never a straight answer with any of you guys, even when you do answer my questions! What even is going on here, why can I of all people talk to you through a psychic link? I just... I just have so many questions Schrodinger, and none of them have answers!"

Izuku starts crying at this, and I move to comfort him, wrap him in a hug, and he slumps into my arms. I rub his back, and move to sit down. Izuku follows along, and soon all I have is a lap of crying protagonist.

"I'm not sure that any of us have the answers for that, either. We're just trying our hardest."

"Trying your hardest! Why can't... why can't you just stop being as cryptic then? Just tell someone, ask for help? Mom says that when you aren't sure you're supposed to ask for help."

"Asking for help... Observer says that doing that leads to bad endings, that asking for help makes the problem worse."

"Observer says, Observer can burn in a fire! They just say something and everyone follows along! Why? There's no reason for that! There isn't... why?"

"I don't know how to explain that without telling you a few things you probably shouldn't know. Ahh, you know what? Screw it, a couple of them are purely my own to give out and Observer never said that telling you some of them was a bad idea."

"There you go with Observer again! Just.. just.."

"Do you remember what a [Denial] is? What you were told that first time?"

"Yeah... what does that not-quirk thingy have to do with this?"

"Quite a bit Zuzu, quite a bit. Anyways, mine can cause issues with what goes on. It's a tad broken."

"How so?"

"Well, Zuzu, I can make what I call a black box that is blocked off from reality. Provided that I don't know what is or isn't there, I can do anything inside of that box, and then... I can bring the insides of that box into reality. Make lies become truth, truth become lies, all of that. What do you think I can do with that?"

"Anything."

"Exactly. And what if that ability fell into the hands of someone who had less issues than I with using it?"

"They could become the greatest hero ever!"

"Or the worst villain in existence. Not everyone with great power becomes a good person, Zuzu. Can't you see why we can't simply fix this? Infinite power corrupts infinitely, and I can't say that using it wouldn't change how I see reality."

"You mean like Observer?"

"Well yes, but actually no. We'd be consumed in different ways, and while Observer overuses his ability, what happens with him would not happen with me, because we have very different [Denial]s."

"I wish... I wish I was able to actually help you guys and not be such a quirkless idiot."

"No, no, Zuzu, you're perfectly fine as you are. Hmmm... I know how you can help!"

Izuku actually looks up at me at this, eyes still full of tears but not yet crying.

"How?"

"Simple! If any of us start to become corrupted by our [Denial]s then you can be there to remind us to back down! You can be our anchor!"

"Huh?"

"You can remind us to stay human, Zuzu."

"Oh."

I stand, and turn to walk away, and yet, I feel as if I can't walk away like this, can't leave this child as they are. Can't leave them without encouragement and a way to meet in person once again. I reach into my bag and pull out a piece of paper and a pen, writing down my number on it.

"Zuzu, here. For any reason, at any time, you can call this number and you'll reach me. I won't exactly be able to promise that I'll be able to respond at that exact time you call me, but I can promise that I'll try to reach you as soon as I can afterwards."

I walk off, out of sight of Izuku. It was best to leave then, I don't know whether or not I'd be able to leave otherwise if that conversation continued. Ahh, fuck this country.

* * *

_**[Schrodinger]; Fuckkkkkkk**_

_[Zeno]; What is it Schrodinger?_

_**[Schrodinger]; I just ran into our greenest of beans and hot damn, can we please just tell him? Hiding stuff like this is taking a toll on me.**_

_[Observer]; It's best if we don't... I don't know how that will change the future. Foreknowledge can be quite dangerous sometimes._

_**[Schrodinger]; Come on, he hasn't told anyone about us yet!**_

_[Observer]; He didn't think we were real. Now, because of you, he knows we are real._

_[Sorites]; Not even a week, Schrodinger, and you've attracted wonderful chaos!_

_[Zeno]; Schrodinger, just stick to the plan. Maybe you shouldn't come visit the rest of us, just stay where you are and not cause any more issues._

_[Bhartrhari]; Schrodinger is welcome to come and cause chaos where I am anytime! It would be interesting to watch, at least. _

_**[Schrodinger]; Thanks. If things continue as they have this week, I might just need to come over for some relaxing chaos.**_

_[Abilene]; Chaos for the Chaos god!_

* * *

Getting home, to the apartment, I put down my stuff and collapse onto the couch. Who'd have guessed that my actions have repercussions? Surely not me. Hahhh, today was just off. One more week before the whole exchange student semester thing starts. Ahh, what a pain this whole thing has become. Reality fades out around me, replaced with clear skies and a shrouded meadow. Might not be the best way to use this, but I need some privacy right now.

Up from the ground, flowers sprout and bloom in impossible colors. I run my hand over them, and the world quiets down into peaceful white noise. Wandering about, this personal paradise never seems to end, if only I could stay here forever. Alas, I have things to do, events to set up, and even while I'm in this Eden, the world still moves on without me. Everything fades back into reality, and I am standing in my kitchen. It is time for lunch, isn't it?

Reality fades once again after lunch into a lab setting. It is time to see if these ideas work without my prompting, see if my simulations will bear fruit. I don't know if this will work, but I must try, as I always do.

If only I could stay here forever...


	5. Chapter 5

Within the depths of an abandoned warehouse, a man sits, waiting. Siting calmly, quietly, he stays to wait for what would certainly be a tragic end to his career. Pity that it won't be his end, will it? He sits as if he has won the game, even while he appears in all meaning to be walking to his demise. The man sits, it is any second now that the intruder, his failed killer will burst through the door. There is a play to make, and he knows his supposed role. They'll think they won, think him dead, think him gone - except he knows the game, has the players in his hands, will win the way that matters. A shame that they don't know, but he knows they wouldn't trust him otherwise. A shame they weren't more open, but now? After what will happen, it won't matter, shouldn't matter. For if there was one thing that is true about those children; they all cared far too much about those they hold dear to care about something like the titles society has for people. After all, isn't one of them becoming an European lawyer?

Although, isn't he the same? He has become attached to children, hasn't he? Oh well. That only means he shall not fail here.

The stage is set, the curtains drawn, and the main actor is arriving soon. He shall play the grand Villain of the piece, and vanish off the stage once he is 'vanquished'. Ha.

He faces the door just as it bursts open, the main actor, the 'Hero' following through. It is time to face the music.

"I am here!"

The curtain rises.

* * *

[Zeno]; It has happened, hasn't it? Timeline lines up, and All Might has taken a 'leave of absence' for 'undisclosed reasons'. We should be able to move more freely now, right?

[Sorites]; Take that, old potato!

[Schrodinger]; Pfft. If only I could do something~

[Zeno]; No. You're not revealing your Black Box ability to those heroes.

[Bhartrhari]; That would be a particularly stupid move of you, Schrodinger.

[Value]; [Inquiry].

[Abilene]; [Denied]. Bhartrhari! Haven't seen you in a while, what's happened?

[Schrodinger]; Bhartrhari! Welcome back, man. How's it going?

[Bhartrhari]; In all honesty, not very well at the moment. I got... very injured in a Villain fight. Things should be progressing as normal, right?

[Sorites]; Well, yeah, but why didn't you tell us earlier?

[Bhartrhari]; Coma.

[Abilene]; What the fuck. Dude why are you acting like this is normal?

[Schrodinger]; Gimme your location. Imma head over right now.

[Bhartrhari]; [Refusal] No, no, it's fine. Everything is...

[Zeno]; You need help. Schrodinger can help. Just take it and we can move forward.

[Bhartrhari]; Wait, Schrodinger, aren't you in class right now?

[Schrodinger]; Doesn't matter. You do.

[Abilene]; Just take the free healing, man. We can worry about those things later.

[Bhartrhari]; Alright. [Data]. I'll be the only one there, so you don't need to come in. Your Black Box should be able to cover a large room by now, right?

[Schrodinger]; Yeah... I'm actually close by. Are you in that front room or in one of the other rooms?

[Bhartrhari]; Front Room, and please don't expand into the other rooms please? You can come in right after, I have been waiting to meet you in person.

[Schrodinger]; All right. I'll head in once the Black Box disappears, ok? See you soon!

[Observer]; Wait -

* * *

The machines whir as I wait for Schrodinger. I know that Observer entered last minute so that might complicate things, but she still arrives anyways. Schrodinger walks up the street, phone in hand. She stops in front of the complex anyways, no matter what Observer might have said.

The walls around me change, becoming infinite and yet not, and so I sit in a void, my body coming undone and redone in front of myself. Oddly, it's not painful like I had expected it to be, like I had prepared for. The machines that were being used to keep me alive disappear as well, but they are a welcome sacrifice. My legs were the first to be replaced, and so I stand as my torso and arms follow. Last to be replaced was my head, and how odd that was - thought disappearing for just a moment before I can see the results. Perfectly placed, as they should be, an my sight has returned! How nice.

Turns out that the Black Box is aptly named, Schrodinger's ability truly does have black walls when it is used. I see it slink back, and oh how nice having my sight back actually is, the range rediscovered. I walk to the door, opening it, welcoming Schrodinger in. She's much smaller than I thought, but she is a child. I queue the link in the bacck of my mind, just in case.

I offer my hand.

"Hello, Taylor. Or do you wish to be called Schrodinger?"

Her eyes widen as I speak. Ah, so she does recognize my voice.

"All for-"

I reach out and tap her on the forehead, activating a quirk. She slumps forward, asleep. Good, she wasn't able to say anything through the link. That would be a pain to explain right now, especially with Taylor being unavailable at the moment. I pick her up, and carry her to a backroom and set her down on a bed to let her sleep. I walk out of the room, before turning and locking the door to that room. Best not have anyone here find her right now. That quirk should grant eight hours of sleep, so I move to the Kitchen to eat some actual food for the first time since that fight.

In the middle of eating an apple, the Doctor walks in, moving past me before stopping and turning around to gawk at my current state. I smirk before talking.

"I called in a favor with a friend of mine for this. Pity her quirk doesn't work on herself. Now, doctor, would you kindly start on that project?"

"Of course, of course!" The Doctor bows and quickly walks out of the room, going back into the depths of the complex. I laugh and finish the apple.

Going back into the room, I sit down and pull the link to the forefront of my mind.

* * *

[Observer]; Schrodinger? Schrodinger!

[Bhartrhari]; Ah sorry, Schrodinger's sleeping right now. Apparently my wounds were worse than I thought.

[Observer]; If you say so.

[Sorites]; I don't remember her ever getting exhausted from using Black Box when we messed around with it's capabilities.

[Zeno]; Hmm?

[Soirtes]; Nothing, mother!

[Zeno]; I am offended. But you're all good now, right?

[Bhartrhari]; Ah yes, I certainly am.

[Zeno]; So I might have just confirmed a thing about Fold...

[Sorites]; Hmm?

[Zeno]; I can change the centerpoint if I want to.

[Sorites]; So you can mess with the time-space continuum.

[Zeno]; Yes. It feels weird when I do it, though.

[Sorites]; Fair enough. Particula feels wack to me, should probably mess around with it more.

[Zeno]; You are not messing around with an ability that can pull apart atoms on a whim. Not without Schrodinger to fix things if you fuck up.

[Sorites]; Aren't you the one that doesn't like to swear.

[Zeno]; Not if I can help it, no.

* * *

In the oddest sense, waiting for Schrodinger to wake up is more nerve wracking than waiting for All Might to attempt to kill me, and I cannot pinpoint why. Is it because I don't know that if I will be able to fix this? Is it because I might just have become attached? Or is it because she knows too much? The longer I wait, the more and more that I feel like i am walking to my demise, that I have done something that cannot be fixed. The thought of which does not make me feel better.

I could just make sure that she doesn't wake up again, could just steal her quirk and be done with it. Although, can I even take it? They seem so sure that it is not a quirk, that it is an ability that is purely theirs, so even if I could take it, would it be the same for myself? I'd rather not. Hmm, I could just place her in that project, but the thought of her becoming absolutely mindless bothers me. Kurogiri was an impossibility, pure chance, one that I don't think I can replicate ever again.

It would be so much simpler, to carry out any of these ideas and yet, I seem unable.

Within the depths of a complex, a man sits, waiting for the end.


	6. Chapter 6

Wake up. Go to sleep. Wake up. Go to sleep. Wake up. Sleep. Wake. Sleep. Wake. Sleep. Repeat over and over and over again. Drift in and out from the world around yourself, replace the unconscious with the physical, physical with the unconscious.

The world had stopped making sense long ago, and yet - and yet I've tried to force it to be so. Make friends, family, understand the world around myself and put one foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Move forward, through the abyss.

An abyss that surrounds myself at the moment, threatening to swallow me whole into the depths of my own despair that all we've done has been for naught. Thus, I fight, I fought, I deny it the chance to drag me below.

Even as I try, even as I fight, I still cannot keep the abyss away forever. I falter, I slip, and the abyss drags me into its depths. Thus, I sleep.

* * *

[]; Schrodinger!

**[Schrodinger]; What?**

[]; You're awake! We were worried about you.

**[Schrodinger]; No I'm not. I'm asleep right now. Wait I have something to tell you-**

[]; What?

**[Schrodinger]; It's about Bhartrhari, he's- **

[]; I think this should be left for another time, you're exhausted right now, you need sleep. You can tell us later.

**[Schrodinger]; No I can't! He's - **

[]; You should go back to sleep, Schrodigner. You're tired, aren't you?

* * *

Waking up is another matter. Waking up means facing Bhartrhari-no, All for One, means facing the fact that he's exactly the person we've been fighting against. Waking up means accepting that, accepting that all we've done might possibly been for naught.

We haven't been doing anything, haven't we? Oh god- this has all been useless, hasn't it? Hiding things from behind their backs, trying to keep canon as is while we change the background - it doesn't matter now, does it?

Oh god, I'm not dead, am I?

Death - dying, it, that - I don't know if it's good or bad to be dead right now. Death means that I've been used, that we've all been used, just as would be expected of him. If this is death, then it isn't all that bad - I don't feel anything but my thoughts.

Yet, if this is just sleep, just a dream that I've been placed in, then - why am I not dead? Why have I been left alive now that I've essentially restored him to full power, my purpose done? What's the point?

Floating, drowning, moving, whatever this is through the abyss that is my current surroundings leaves me to only pursue further questions that have no answer, face me with the uncertain reality of what is, what could be. I can't see anything.

Breathe in. It doesn't matter. There's nothing I can do about it. What else don't I know?

Breathe in. It shouldn't matter. It's not like I can change what I've done at this point, right? What has gone on that the others haven't said a word about?

Breathe in. It won't matter. What happens now isn't entirely up to my decisions. Will I ever know what is going on?

Breathe in. It hurts. Who else is lying?

It's time to open my eyes.

* * *

Breathe out.

Opening my eyes, I wake to the sight of Bhartrhari sitting next to me. Wait, no, that's wrong. All for One. That, that! Staring ahead of myself, gathering something, anything at all!

Breathe out.

"So, what happens now?" I question. Looking back at him, I breathe out through my nose. I guess, in the end, I couldn't really do anything.

"Really, no attempt to tell the others, Schrodinger? Or is it Taylor? You really didn't answer that question." All for One, Bharthari, he responds.

"You might as well call me whatever you please, All for One. Or is it Bhartrhari? Besides, I might as well try to take the diplomatic route, seeing as I'm not dead." Sitting up, I face him.

"Why would I want you dead, Schrodinger? That would be such a… waste of your abilities. Better put to… other things." Smiling, the-man-who-won't-answer-my-damn-questions folds his hands together and places his head upon them. Arse.

"Like what? Working for you? Is that my price for coming to someone I cared for enough to drop everything? For trusting you?" I snarl, my voice raising as I speak.

"Ahh, that would explain a few things." The man mutters, probably thinking that I wouldn't hear it.

"Explain what?" I demand, moving to stand up.

He smirks. "Why you haven't said anything. Why, despite seemingly hating me, you still haven't told the others. You still care about the two of us being friends despite the fact that I'm exactly who you've been working against."

Sitting on the side of the bed, I freeze. "Fine, I do. I still fucking care despite what has just happend. You've played me like the cheap kazoo I am, played the rest of us into trusting you." I laugh, shaking my head. "What was the point? You didn't have to do anything, you didn't have to help - you could have said that you've already established a life here and didn't want to change any of it. So, why?"

His answer throws me out. "Really, a cheap kazoo? You're at least a harmonica, Schrodinger." That doesn't answer jack shit, asshole.

Standing up, I take a step forward before stumbling and placing all my weight on the bed frame. "Really, that's how you respond? Goddamn it, I don't care that you haven't really answered the other questions, I don't fucking care that you've betrayed me, but goddamn it, tell me why you didn't shut us up earlier! Why do, why did you care enough about us to help us in the first place! We both know it took years before we gained any powerful ability beyond what was listed on government papers! Tell me, why?"

He leans forward as if to stand up before leaning back, his smirk disappearing. "You want to know? You really want to know? I was bored. I had just killed what I had thought to be the last wielder of One For All, and All Might hadn't really made any kind of mark yet. I was just doing paperwork and making sure that Japan didn't accidentally kick off WWIII. Then you lot show up, lost, confused, and talking about impossible things that anyone that wasn't another voice in my head would know about. So I decided not to antagonize you at that moment. And then I learned that you all were actually people and you caught my interest even before developing what you all call [Denial]s." He pauses, taking a breath. "Besides, you tell me. Has it really been a bad investment, a bad idea to provide some help, Schrodinger?"

I look off, collapsing back into the bed. "No it hasn't, has it?" Taking a few breaths, I continue speaking. "You gained someone who was willing to help you when you desperately needed it, returning you to full power when you were practically on your deathbed. So, what happens now? You know I can't use Black Box on myself, right?"

"That is correct. As for… what happens next, we do have options, so what do you want out of our arrangement?" That fucking smirk returns and I know that he knows he has the upper hand.

"As much as I would like for us to just forget what has happened here and return to what it was like before I came to Japan, we both know that isn't going to happen. An arrangement at this point really is our only option at this point isn't it if I want to stay alive…" Bringing myself to properly sit up on the bed, I move myself into a cross legged position. "What I want… I would like to keep my freedom… how about that, yeah. I keep my freedom, you get someone who will heal you back to full health when you need it under threat of… fuck! What would you threaten me with? Next time I could just kill you and be done with it!" Curling up, my rambling becomes incoherent. There's nothing he could threaten me with… so why let me leave at all? I know he could just keep me here forever and have me under the damocles that if I messed up, I would be the one who dies. I… what can I offer that he knows I wouldn't risk anything for?

"You desire your freedom. How about this; I give you your freedom to do as you wish under a few… conditions. First would be that you reasonably drop whatever you are doing to heal myself and those under me when I ask of you. Second would be to stay away from political affairs, such as helping heroes, or god forbid telling the government anything about what goes on here or while you are helping any of those gathered under me. Third would be that the others are not informed of anything regarding this deal - to them I shall still simply be Bhartrhari, a helpful friend. This would all be under threat of myself informing the populace of exactly what you and your friends can do; that Sorites is in practice an atomic bomb, that Zeno is a warper with practically no limits as to her range, that Observer can look into the future at will and get accurate results. Unless you would prefer not to take this arrangement?" He… All for One offers out his hand.

Uncurling, I speak. "I… accept your offer." I take his hand, before releasing it.

"Good." He smiles, and stands. "You should go back to sleep now, Schrodinger. You must be tired."

* * *

_[Sorites]; You alright now, Schrodinger? Anything happen?_

_**[Schrodinger]; Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired that's all.**_

_[Sorites]; You said you had something to say about Bhartrhari?_

_**[Schrodinger]; Just that his appearance surprised me, that's all, he looked remarkably young. It's fine. I'm still tired, so I'm going to sleep for a bit more, that good with you?**_

_[Sorites]; Yeah, you're good. Sleep well._

* * *

I lay down to rest and close my eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

Schrodinger stopped by to say hello. Schrodinger stopped by. [Schrodinger]. She's - they're real. They exist. They care, right?

Maybe I do have a quirk after all… a really odd quirk that connects him to whoever Schrodinger actually is and the rest of them! Kacchan wrong! Doctor Tsubasa's wrong! I'm not a quirkless loser and I know that I'm not going insane! Schrodinger exists, they're a teenager in fact! They comforted me and made me feel better!

But… if I told anyone they'd be disappointed in me for breaking their rules, right? No, they told me that I don't have to hold tight to them, just don't tell the government. Why don't they want him to tell the government? It can't be too bad can it?

Walking down the street to the park, I see Kacchan playing there already. Maybe we can play again together now that I have a quirk! Well, I can't prove it, but it's real! I know it is!

…

I want to tell mom. I want to tell Kacchan. But I don't want to disappoint Schrodinger. I don't them to be mad at me.

…

I want to be a hero with Kacchan! I want to be the number one hero! But… Schrodinger and Zeno and Abilene and Sorites and… Observer don't like heroes. Why don't they like heroes? They en..en.. whatever that world for like is for me to become a hero but they don't like heroes. Does that mean that they don't like me?

* * *

_[Observer]; Are you sure you're fine, Schrodinger? Nothing's happened?_

_[Schrodinger]; I'm fine, trust me. Nothing's happened._

_**[Value]; What's wrong with Schrodinger?**_

_[Schrodinger]; Nothing's wrong with me. I'm perfectly fine. _

_**[Value]; Oh, ok. But uhh, guys…**_

_[Schrodinger]; What is it, Zuzu? Are you okay?_

_**[Value]; [Query].**_

_[Schrodinger]; Because… because… hmm… _

_[Observer]; [Refusal]._

_[Schrodinger]; Observer! Because, Zuzu, despite how any of us might feel about heroes, you still deserve to follow your dreams. You deserve to try for a happy ending just like the rest of us. _

_**[Value]; [Request].**_

_[Zeno]; [Refusal] _

_Observer;[REFUSAL] _

_[Schrodinger]; Guys, let's not be so hard on the green bean. I, uhh, don't know how to respond to that. Let's think about it logically._

_**[Value]; [Query].**_

_[Schrodinger]; Well, you're officially quirkless, right? Well, I'm not entirely sure how it's done in Japan, but any change to your quirk records should require testing. So, you want to register this as your quirk, correct? You'd need another person or several who are already confirmed to be telepathic to see if they can feel the connection first. Then, it depends._

_[Zeno]; It depends, Schrodinger?! How does it depend on anything? It's just a bad idea first and foremost!_

_[Schrodinger]; It depends on if they can feel the connection. If they can't it's likely that you'd be labeled insane. If they can, then it depends on how much they can feel of our connection. Can they access the chat? Can they determine who we are? Can they only feel that it exists and nothing more? Can they determine where it comes from? It's a bad idea to try it even before remembering the fact that this has been around before you came along into the chat. _

_**[Value]; But…**_

_[Observer]; Fuck it. [Bhartrhari], [Schrodinger], what are you hiding? Goddamn it I need to know!_

_[Schrodinger]; [Observer]! I'm not hiding anything! I'm fine, nothing happened with my visit to Bhartrhari. I'm fine._

_[Observer]; No, you're not! Tell us!_

_[Bhartrhari]; What is going on here._

_[Observer]; [Data]. What. Happened._

_[Schrodinger]; It's nothing important._

_[Bhartrhari]; [Refusal]._

_**[Value]; Wha? Schrodinger, are you okay?**_

_[Schrodinger]; I'm fine. Stop bringing the matter up. It doesn't mean that it's Bhartrhari. I've done multiple dumb things in the past week, no thanks to you all reminding me. _

_[Observer]; If it was anything else, it would have changed right then. You went to heal him, you healed him, you went blank and didn't respond for five hours. Now, your future has changed irrevocably. Tell us what happened._

_[Schrodinger]; I healed him and passed out. That's all that happened. Trust me._

_[Bhartrhari];...my injuries might have been worse than I thought. Everything's fine now, don't worry about it. _

_[Observer]; Fine, I'll drop it. If this bites us all in the ass then it's on you. _

_**[Value]...[Request]?**_

_[Observer]; [REFUSAL]! I get it, being quirkless is hard! I fucking know it myself but don't drag the rest of us down from your selfishness! _

_**[Value]; How. HOW?**_

_[Observer]; I'M LEGALLY QUIRKLESS, VALUE! NOW SHUT UP ABOUT HOW FUCKING HARD IT IS! I COULD CHANGE THIS ANYTIME I WANTED, BUT I'M NOT DRAGGING THE REST OF YOU DOWN BECAUSE I COULDN'T HANDLE IT! Fuck, kid, don't be so selfish._

_[Schrodinger]; There's no need to be so hard on the kid, Observer. The two of you don't have the same experiences and never will. _

_[Observer]; You're not any better, Schrodinger! DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU MEANS? YOU BEING SELFISH IS THREATENING TO BRING THE REST OF US DOWN WITH YOU!_

_[Schrodinger]; It won't affect the rest of you._

_[Observer]; HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT! YOU KNOW WHY YOU'RE IN CHAINS AND REFUSE TO TELL US, DON'T YOU?_

_[Schrodinger]; Yes. I do. And I'm fine with it. You just have to deal with it, but it won't affect the rest of you, I promise._

_[Zeno]; Schrodinger… _

_[Sorites]; Why?_

_[Schrodinger]; I was selfish._

_[Sorites];...I don't believe you._

_[Schrodinger]; Then don't. I'm not in charge of your actions. _

_**[Value]; Is it because of me?**_

_[Schrodinger]; No, Zuzu. It's my fault, it's my problem to deal with it and I'm prepared to deal with the consequences of it. _

_[Sorites]; Is it because if any of us?_

_[Schrodinger]; I… don't think I should say._

_[Sorites]; Schrodinger… what happened?_

_[Schrodinger]; [Refusal]._

_**[Value]; I promise… I'll become a good hero, even without a quirk! ... I don't need to officially have a quirk right now. **_

_[Schrodinger]; Everything will be okay._

* * *

I… I want to become a Hero. I want to prove them wrong. I want… I want.. I want for it to be okay for me to want these things without anyone saying it's wrong.

I want to prove them wrong.


	8. Chapter 8

Brick by brick, build a new life.

Brick upon brick, make a new existence.

Brick by brick, brick upon brick, the house, the new home is never finished. It never will be finished, there never will be an end. That doesn't matter, all that is needed to be done is simply build another brick.

Brick by brick. The world unfolds, refolding into all that is and isn't there, twisting and turning until it is unrecognizable. Until it becomes a kaleidoscope of broken down pieces that are no longer there. Not anymore, at least. Eh, not like there is anything you can do about that. Just focus and concentrate on that which is here, the actual existence in which you can change, in which you can create. Provided it's not actually pre existing within canon, of course.

Brick upon brick. Moving on, moving forwards is much easier than is thought. That place never was a home, never was a place that should have been stayed at. Not that anyone was actually ever there, of course. It's the thought that counts, right? The thought that that was a family, hah. What a joke. Not that any of us are any better at the moment. All of us are hiding something from each other, all of us are drifting away because of stupid secrets that must be kept. Goddamn it! Why must these secrets be kept? Why must everyone always drift away?

The house is never finished. But, it's home, isn't it? Even still, we're still family, right? Once this is done and over with, we can go back to being the same friends that we've always been! Right? You know what, they can keep their secrets. Just, please, can we not hate each other for it? We can all remain family, you know.

* * *

_**[Zeno]; Can you all kindly stop fighting? Observer, Schrodinger is not going to tell you what she knows just because you refuse to stop pestering her about it. Schrodinger, Observer is not going to stop worrying about this until he understands how to fix it. Got it?**_

_[Schrodinger]; Yes, mom. I swear, you need a snickers bar, Observer. You're not you when you're hungry. _

_[Observer]; Schrodinger._

_[Schrodinger]; What? I'm not wrong. You're being all pissy and refuse to leave me alone. Now, take the snickers bar and STFU._

_**[Zeno]; If I have to meditate on another one of these, I am going to die. **_

_[Sorites]; But moOoOm, who else can get everyone to stop?_

_**[Zeno]; Bhartrhari can. **_

_[Sorites]; Ah, yess. The resident legal adult. Definitely not questionable at all. _

_[Bhartrhari]; I am a "totally responsible legal adult"_

_[Observer]; And _what _does _that _mean?_

_[Sorites]; Be gay, do crimes._

_[Bhartrhari]; Be gay, do crimes. That._

_**[Zeno]; Didn't you say you have a wife and a kid?**_

_[Bhartrhari]; ... yes. _

_[Sorites]; Spill the tea, sis. _

_[Bhartrhari]; There is no lie. I have a wife and a child that I love very much. Yes._

_[Schrodinger]; That sounds more suspicious than what I've been roped into._

_[Observer]; And what is it, exactly, that you have been roped into? Is that why you're in chains, huh?_

_[Schrodinger] That's for me to know and you to find out, bub._

_**[Zeno]; With the - no, Hizashi especially would be the one who would be behind it all. You all will kill me one day.**_

_[Sorites]; Bold of you to assume we're not going to die first._

_[Schrodinger]; Bold of you to assume we can die. _

_**[Zeno]; Observer, you can come back now. We all know your incoherent screaming is finished by now.**_

_[Observer]; I- I- ahhjhhhjdsojsjejlscjk! I'm not finished here!_

_[Schodinger]; So, how's everyone doing?_

_[Sorites]; Come back! It's super boring now that I can't meme with anyone on the job! You know who else wants you back here?_

_[Schrodinger]; Who?_

_[Sorites]; Your Mom!_

_**[Zeno]; That one doesn't even make any sense. Also, while things are progressing on my end, my dad is trying to get me more involved with the "family business". Ugh. I'm not joining the Police. **_

_[Schrodinger]; Your family owns the police? _

_**[Zeno]; No. My family has worked in the Police for generations. **_

_[Schrodinger]; Ah. Okie. So… how is everything going?_

_**[Zeno]; That's something you should be asking yourself. **_

* * *

Getting home, to the house that I live in with my family, I put down my bag and collapse onto the bed. I hear mom calling my brother from downstairs, yelling at him to come and clean up his mess. It's not my problem, but still I think. Ahh, what a pain this whole thing has become. I wonder what mess Schrodinger has made, I wonder if we've messed up before we've even gotten a chance to start. To build something new underneath canon.

Ah, canon. From what I remember, what we remember, not much was actually mentioned about the world outside of Japan. I remember America being mentioned as being quite similar to things back there, so surely not much has changed, right? I'm sure that if things have deviated too far from home, one of the others would have mentioned it. What a shame that I'm stuck here in Japan, where we can't really change much of anything. Eh, better to keep things as we know it than go completely off course and have almost no clue what happens next. I swear, I'd rather have Observer tell us when it's gone completely off course so that we can just remove these restrictions.

Better to know when uncertainty hits than not to know and only hope that we're still on course. Goddamnit, Observer! This train of thought is killing me, and you can't even say whether or not Schodinger has knocked us off course or not?

I need to calm down. Pulling out my phone, I open it up to scroll through it and just relax. Relax into the constant stream of heroics, of business I won't take part in but gives me comfort. Heh, they're still wondering where All Might is. Guess he still hasn't announced that he's elsewhere "on vacation". Kek, if only they knew. Chuckling, I break out into a laughing fit. There's just something about knowing things that nobody else does that gives me comfort. Ehh, the world will know eventually. I think they'll end up knowing eventually, anyways...

I just want to be sure about this...

To be sure about everything. But that's impossible anyways.

Although, we're all an impossibility that never existed in canon. I guess, no, I know that we'll do the impossible - change the unchangable without anyone ever knowing that it changed in the first place. Sounds like a paradox, but that's what we're named for, right?

I know we'll figure this out.


	9. Chapter 9

Joke. Laugh. Lie. Gets people every time.

Joke. You'd think that we know what we're doing, we know what reprocussions head our way if we fail, if we're found out without backups in place. That we'd have plans in place for the chance that things would go wrong, right?

Laugh. We're fools. All of us. We're all absolute fools to think that things would go smoothly, that nothing could possibly go wrong. Schrodinger proved, well she proves that. We don't have functioning plans in place for when, not if things go wrong. It would be wrong to say that I'm any better than them at this stage, but I'd like to think that I'm in the best place to make those backups.

Lie. Shame that this involves deviating off plan, but it's for the best. It's for the best. Sure, I'm still folling the plans we made - where we all become upstanding members of society that lawfully change things for the better. Upstanding member of society. As if the world wasn't as corrupt as it is. I will forgive them though, they are in areas well described to have lower crime rates, that they forget that canon said that the rest of the world has a crime rate of 20%.

20%! Fucking hell!

No, that's fine. Everything is perfectly fine. Things can change. Things will change. Let's just ignore the fact that back home has a crime rate of about 5%! Fuck, I just fucking can't. At least, at least… I can… persuade people that… there are better things to do.

Gets people every time. This is for the best. This is for the best. I'm still becoming a Lawyer, I'm still upholding the law. However that thing is defined here, at least.

This is for the best.

* * *

_[Sorites]; And that's when I said that "Yes, my hair does look like a bunch of curly fries, but does that change your life in any meaningful way?" And they died. I died. _

_[Schrodinger]; Ah, but you survived, didn't you?_

_[Sorites]; Yes- Schrodinger! I'm supposed to be the Memelord here!_

_**[Abilene]; Yes, dears, you're both beautiful. But we all know the true memelord here.**_

_[Sorites]; Well, we all know it's not you._

_**[Abilene]; Of course not. It's our resident "totally responsible adult" Bhartrhari! **_

_[Sorites]; Alkdalskdjlkfjsjdf- pfft. What about our resident "mom"s; Observer and Zeno?_

_[Schrodinger]; Observer needs to eat a snickers before he's ever considered a memelord. Besides, I totally agree with Abilene on Bhartrhari. That man cracking a joke kills me everytime. Every. Single. Time. _

_**[Abilene]; You say that like I've left the building. I'm right here.**_

_[Schrodinger]; You're in Spain. You've totally left the building. You've left the building so hard you landed in another continent, on a whole 'nother landmass. _

_[Sorites]; Stooopppp, you're killing me, pls. I was the one telling the joke here! _

_[Schrodinger]; You wanna hear about Bhartrhari being the eldritch meme he is?_

_[Sorites]; Yes. I cravvee._

_[Schrodinger]; So I was hanging around his place, helping out, and I walk around the corner to this man sayin, "One does not simply" and he stops, turns around to face me, where I'm already trying not to die at that moment and continues with "walk away." And so now I'm torn, cause on one hand, I need to leave the room to go die in peace but on the other hand I want some more stories of Bhartrhari being an eldritch meme, so of course I stayed._

_[Sorites]; Omfg. That exchange program was a wonderful idea._

_[Schrodinger]; I know, right?_

_**[Abilene]; Wait, wait, why were you at Bhartrhari's, anyways?**_

_[Schrodinger]; You think Zeno wants to hang out? Forget about Observer._

_**[Abilene]; Ahh, yesss. Anyways, I have an absolutely fantastic idea. No sarcasm there whatsoever.**_

_[Sorites]; Hmm? And what is this oh so fabulous idea that could surely do no harm?_

_**[Abilene]; We all go to Observer's house and T-pose at him to assert our dominance, of course. Or, you know, just some good ol' chanting at three am in unison. **_

_[Sorites]; Macarena Flash Mob._

_[Schrodinger]; You think enough people will recognize the Macarena?_

_[Sorties]; C'mon, it's a cult classic. _

_[Schrodinger]; Pfft, all go to Observer's house at three am and surround him doing the Macarena. _

_**[Abilene]; Absolutely nothing could possibly go wrong here, of course.**_

_[Schrodinger]; Nothing at all._

_[Zeno]; What's this about the macarena?_

_[Schrodinger]; Wanna help me find Observer's house so we can do the macarena in front of it at three am, balls early in the morning?_

_[Zeno]; You know what, with all the bullshit I've had to deal with lately, sure. Place and time._

_[Schrodinger]; Ah shit, I don't know Observer's house!_

_[Zeno]; What a shame. Pity we're all out of luck then. Truly a shame._

_[Schrodinger]; Pity that. If only… _

_[Zeno]; Anyways, it's time to look at colleges… _

_**[Abilene]; Personally, I'd say stick to Japan. Love to have ya here, but I probably should've looked elsewhere for college. Say what you want, but ahhh I should've tried to join one of you guys.**_

_[Sorites]; So no college meme brigade? Ahhhhh! *yeets mental link* *breaks skateboard*_

_[Schrodinger]; You have a skateboard?_

_[Sorites]; Yes. I totally have a skateboard. _

_[Zeno]; Children…_

_**[Abilene]; Yes mom?**_

_[Zeno]; Ahsadhkjsdfhwefj! I swear, you children will kill me someday._

_[Sorites]; Yes, we know you can say fuck. _

_[Schrodinger]; Just remember not to say it around the green bean. We need to keep his innocence._

_[Sorites]; What innocence? He hangs out around Katsuki Bakugou._

_[Zeno]; Pfft._

_[Schrodinger]; Good going, you've ruined a perfectly good Zeno. Now it's laughing. _

_[Zeno]; I can laugh!_

_[Schrodinger]; Uh huh. I believe you._

_**[Abilene]; Now, now. Let's not make mom yell at us again, she needs a break. Now, how are you doing Schrodinger?**_

_[Zeno] For the last time! Stop calling me mom!_

_[Schrodinger]; Nah, you're too much of a mom. Besides, it's not like anything's changed since last time so I'm good._

_[Sorites]; Don't you need to look at college?_

_[Schrodinger]; Shit. _

_**[Abilene]; Kek. Suffer. **_

_[Schodinger]; Pardon me while I scream unintelligently at Abilene in the comfort of my own room. _

_**[Abilene]; Sweet, sweet revenge. **_

* * *

Ahh, I swear I need a better sleep schedule than this. The life of a college student is wonderful. Definitely not the fact I skipped a grade and thus coffee tastes horrid. Oh well, there's always Red Bull.

Having to go to a Denny's parking lot at 2am to meet a… friend is always a good idea, right? Nothing bad could come of this. Nothing at all. It's for the best. I really didn't think he'd take me seriously, but my man's got no chill and said that that time doesn't have any possible conflicts.

It's for the best, right?

At Denny's, I see Amon resting against a wall, manilla folder in hand. Dude, the only way you look more suspicious is by wearing a trenchcoat. At least he's wearing random civilian clothes. Looks like a gay disaster, but hey, we're european so it makes sense.

Walking over, Amon looks up to see me. "Abilene?"

"Amon." I nod. "How's your blanket holding up?"

"Not well. Need to switch it out soon or it'll rip." Handing over the folder, Amon scratches his head. "Hope that I don't need to do it tomorrow. Yours?"

"Better than yesterday, that's for sure. Washed it out and now it's going fine." I smile, and he nods. "I'll send you where I got them from." He shakes his head, smiling.

We talk for a little while longer before parting, the folder now in a case to be given to Rais later. Ah, what a pain that turned out to be. Now I need to tell Halder and Fallon to put together a task force to grab the local Maldice cell in the next two days. Infighting, huh?

Heading home, I pull out my phone and look at some of the new files I was sent. Huh, Amon can be put on official papers now as an Underground Officer instead of me needing to vouch for him. He'll appreciate that, right?

A back road here, a cut through there, and I'm home - no people to… redirect elsewhere. Redirect? I'm not doing anything wrong here. Falling into bed, I set an alarm for 6am. Need to do things tomorrow, so that means getting up early. Why couldn't the locals work together more? I just wanna get a few more hours of sleep.

This is such a pain.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey, kids, you might think that you'll be fine with just five hours of sleep, right? Nope! Bad children, bad. Five hours of sleep is not recommended at all. Four hours, on the other hand? You're fine. I know that sounds really dumb, but there's science that says it makes sense, so, the fact that I only slept for three hours cannot be that bad.

Actually, only three hours of sleep might have been a worse idea than I thought it was three hours ago. Eh, not like I can fix that. Oh well.

Walking into work at seven in the morning on three hours of sleep, I roll up into Rais's office and hand him the briefcase Amon handed me earlier. We chat for a little while before I go over to Halder and Fallon to talk with them about what I learned last night.

"Hey, you little shits!" I shout, causing the duo to turn and look at me.

"You're younger than the both of us, Abilene." Halder responds, flipping me off.

"Kek." I laugh. "You're both shorter anyways, so it doesn't matter."

Fallon rubs her head, sighing. "What do you want, Abilene?"

"Ya know that informant I found a while back that I only got official allowance to use recently?" I ask, and then continue before they can respond. "So, my man's got me the info that our local Maldice cell, you know the one, the asses, is having some infighting and we could probably clean them up really easily if we did it within like, the next two days." I smile, watching Fallon die inside.

Staring me in the eyes, she speaks. "What the actual fuck, Abilene."

I ask anyways. "So, task force?"

Fallon takes a deep breath before responding. "Fine, fine! It's not like we weren't going to do it anyways. But, as punishment, and you know you deserve it, you are not going on the raid, and you are going to file all the proper paperwork."

"Fallloonnn… that paperwork will kill me!" Flopping onto her, I dramatically sigh.

"Then die." She responds, deadpan, as the two walk towards the door. "I have things to do, no thanks to you."

"You love me." I smile at her as she walks out the door. As she does, she pauses, stops, and flips me off before moving out the door. Walking over to my desk, I settle down and start on that paperwork.

* * *

_**[Abilene]; So I've connected some points.**_

_[Sorites]; You haven't connected shit._

_**[Abilene]; I've connected them.**_

_[Zeno]; Pray tell, what have you figured out? Because I'm with Sorites right now. You haven't figured out jack._

_**[Abilene]; Hear me out. So, yall know that Observer has a stick up his ass, right?**_

_[Sorites]; And? We all know that, dipshit._

_**[Abilene]; It's because he knows he's cursed with Small D energy and he's trying to compensate for it. **_

_[Zeno]; And you have big D energy._

_**[Abilene]; Why thank you, Zeno. **_

_[Zeno]; You little shit._

_**[Abilene]; Naw, I'm a big shit, remember? Anyways, Observer thinks that the longer he keeps that stick up his ass, the bigger his D energy will grow.**_

_[Zeno]; That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. _

_**[Abilene]; Absolutely. That's why it must be true, because Observer makes absolutely no sense!**_

_[Sorites]; I'm so confused. Like, I get what you're trying to get at, but like, it doesn't make any sense. How much sleep did you get last night?_

_**[Abilene]; Three hours.**_

_[Zeno]; Go to sleep._

_**[Abilene]; I'll go to sleep when I'm dead.**_

_[Zeno]; You're about to be._

_**[Abilene]; Later, later. I have things to do first.**_

_[Zeno]; Fine. But you will get a full eight hours tonight, okay?_

_**[Abilene]; Finneeee, mother.**_

* * *

Honestly, that paperwork could have been worse, but I've done it so many times… so… not all that bad. Heh… I still have class. Shit.

Class isn't all that bad, just, go to the room, listen to the teacher talk for two hours, take some notes, and bam! You're finished. And then go and research for five hours and do homework. Eh, at least I have coffee.

Let's just ignore the fact that Personal Finance is boring as shit and I'd rather be elsewhere?

* * *

_**| [Abilene] to **__[Bhartrhari] __**; So why are you up so late, Bhartrhari? It's what, four in the morning for you?**_

_[Bhartrhari]; No reason in particular but it seems harder to sleep lately, hasn't it?_

_**[Abilene]; Why yes, it has. What are you doing anyways?**_

_[Bhartrhari]: The same as usual, Alex. Nothing's changed all that much._

_**[Abilene]; Nothing's changed? Then what exactly are you doing with Taylor then, Hizashi? I wouldn't call that nothing if it's like anything Makoto implies.**_

_[Bhartrhari]; There's no need to worry, child. Taylor is free, relatively, to do as she wishes with a few provisions. Our little deal isn't anything you wouldn't have done. Nothing you haven't done, at least._

_**[Abilene]; Nothing I haven't done? I, at the least, follow the law. You're playing with fire, Hizashi. **_

_[Bhartrhari]; I'm playing with fire? You're more at risk of self-destruction than I am, and by what you all know, that is saying something. _

_**[Abilene]; Things are changing. Things will be changing. I'm doing this by the rules - and they're far less likely to scrutinize us than they are you. **_

_[Bhartrhari]; While that may be true, I have my confidence that nothing will happen for a few years yet. _

_**[Abilene]; Five years. You have five years at most to change enough to keep our own freedom. Are you willing to let that go to waste and stand by because of fate or try? Try to fight fate and change so that freedom is more than mere chance? **_

_[Bhartrhari]; Alex. You know better than to try and convince me like that. Besides, what would the others say?_

_**[Abilene]; You know what, I'm too tired for this. It's two am and I have a Raid to do paperwork for tomorrow, possible prisoners to interrogate, the works. **_

_[Bhartrhari]; You know, I wonder sometimes. Why exactly you haven't told any of the others by now?_

_**[Abilene]; That's something you should ask Taylor, not me. What exactly you are using to keep the two of us in line, or at least toeing the line? And what you are going to do when all that falls through. **_

_[Bhartrhari]; Goodnight, Alex._

_**[Abilene]; What even is your reasoning in doing all of this, anyways?**_

_[Bhartrhari]; I said goodnight, Alex. You really should go to sleep, you'll need it.|_

* * *

_[Sorites]; Abilene, you there?_

_**[Abilene]; Yeah, why?**_

_[Sorites]; _

_**[Abilene]; Where did you even find this?**_

_[Sorites]; We should all know by now, that Tumblr is a very cursed place. _

_**[Abilene]; Whyyyy?**_

_[Sorites]; Kek. _

* * *

This is for the best. Best that the others don't know, best that I'm the one who toes the line and makes the risk. Best that it's not any of the others who are doing this.

But wouldn't it be for the best if none of us had to do this?

If only…

Everything is fine.


	11. Chapter 11

Honestly, I had expected for UA to be worse than it actually was, for me to hate them, to regret doing this even more than I already have. It's actually… not that bad. Sure, I am twitchy about where I am, but I'm not in any place to complain, now am I? It could be worse, right? It could be worse.

Everyone else here, the… children here attending, are all here to become heroes, to help others. I can respect this at least, that we're all here to help others. As for making friends? Well, I have one at least. That's good, right? Eh, it could be better. But it could also be worse. It could be worse.

Going through the day, I float from class to class, not really paying attention. It's… interesting to say the least

Near the end of the day, a text pops up from the potato man. I should probably stop calling Hisashi that, all things considered. Nah, he's always going to be the Potato Man. An address and a photo, as per usual. It could be worse.

I just have to keep repeating it. Repeat it until I can believe it. Say it over and over again, until it's true. It will become true, won't it? It has to be.

* * *

As I hold a hand to the door, concentrating on the image of the man provided, I reach out to ask, not exactly expecting an answer from that man. "When are you going to tell him?"

He chuckles, and even though I can't see him, I feel like that smirk has worked its way onto his face again. "Going to tell what to whom exactly?"

Not looking away from the door, I respond. "Izuku. That you're his father, that you're AFO, that you're really just down the street and can talk to him anytime. Take your pick, really, there's a lot of options here." Motioning with my free hand, I leave room for him to respond.

Respond, he does. "Ah, but what for your precious canon? Isn't Izuku's father supposed to be overseas? Why should I see him as I am?" He questions, baiting.

Finished with my business, I mull over his question before responding. "Hisashi, you know as well as I do that canon is as good as broke right now, what with my massive... screw up. Besides, canon doesn't say that you can't be there right now." Looking away from the door, I stare at Hisashi, furrowing my brows.

Hisashi tilts his head, smiling without showing teeth. "Really?" He speaks, sarcasm and amusement seeping into his voice.

I click my tongue, responding in deadpan. "Yes. As far as I remember, the only rule was that you were elsewhere for the last year of middle school and the first year of highschool…" Motioning once again, I move to sit down, waiting for him to dig his own grave.

However, he only leans in a bit to speak, that same amusement still in his voice. "Don't leave out on the details on my accord, dear. No harm in giving me any information."

Bringing up a hand, I hold it up to stop him there. "Knowledge is power, and power rules all. If you really wish to know, you go to jail for… debatable reasons. Either you go on purpose, which I honestly cannot see for any reason right now or All Might defeats you without killing you and you're arrested for real. Does it really matter? You're at full power right now. Canon's practically dead at this point." Shrugging, I watch him pace the room, taking in what I have just said.

Looking at me with amusement in his eyes, Hisashi speaks. "Is it? I could… acquire an illusory quirk and make it look like I'm not at full power. The possibility for me to go on purpose is there, is it not? While I'm in no mood to turn myself in right now, things can change." Smile creeping onto his face, he leans into my space.

Stepping back, I nod ."That… isn't wrong. Things can change. You should still go and see Izuku though. He needs it more than you think he does." I walk over to the counter and lean on it, my back facing him. "And besides, if you want proof, this wouldn't be a bad way to get it."

He laughs, a resounding thing that ends up driving more shivers down my back than I would want. "But haven't I gotten plenty of proof already? Is my near death nothing to you? Dear, the fact that I did practically lose that encounter but did not die is proof enough." I hear him pace, but I am unsure where he stops, and I do not look back at him. I don't want to look back, don't want to see - don't want to know what he is willing to show. It's tempting, to know for certain what something is… but that is what got me into this in the first place, wanting to be certain the person who I thought was my friend was alright.

He was. Oh, how he was.

* * *

And thus time moves on… right? It goes by day by day, motion by motion, second by second into forever. It'll end up going on forever, won't it? Working, or so he says for Hisashi, for All for One. I can't, I won't escape from this, will I? This will just go on forever won't it? Even though I'll have left Japan, it won't stop, will it? Things like this never stop. They crash and burn, one side having had enough, and it all falls down.

Maybe… maybe if I didn't go there, do that… but in the end, would it matter? I can't change that, and… I wouldn't have changed it as I was without that knowledge. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I thought [Bhartrhari] was injured, was hurt. If only… but I can't change the past, can I?

Even if I could, this would still exist. At very least, my memories of this would exist… or it would all repeat over and over again.

I rub my forehead, and I know that I'm out of it, thinking like this. Overthinking like this. I just wish… does it matter? Would anything really change? All I'm achieving is giving myself a headache. If things were different… fuck my brain can't get away from this can it?

I just can't… I'm fixated. Overfixated, can't stop thinking, can't stop rambling… This gets better with time right?

It has to get better.


End file.
